Machine for opening letters.



. v PATEN M. HEILBEON L J. WZWALKER. MACHINE POR OPENING LETTERS.

TED'AUG.4 4, 190s.

APPLICATION FILED XOY..ll, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@am v L M ATTRNEY PATENTED AUG'. 4, l1908. M. HEILBRON L J. W. WALKER.

MACHINE FOR OPENING LETTERS.

APPLICATION rILED 2101211. 1901.

r c 5 i'NVENTORS @it Y i I I cierran srafrns PATENT oirriois.

To all whom it 'ni/.gy concern.:

Be it known that we, MARIE IliaiLBnoN and JEROME W. 'Wauu-3a, citizens of the llfiiited States, and residents of New York n e city, in the 'county of New York and State of Neu' York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opeliing I Jetters, of which tliefollowing is a Specication. "C

1 o' The invention relates to iniprovenientsin machines for opening letters, and it consists in the novel features and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and yparticularly pointed out iii the claims. 'l

15 The object of the inventioiiis t0 provide an eicient maeh'ine capable of conif'enient o eration for rapidly removing one or more et ges of sealed envelops caused,\in banks or compact bundles, to travel along the bedopening said envelops and permitting of the convenient and rapid reiiio'val of the letters therefrom, and to this end the machine of our invention comprises a horizontal bed-plate. an oblique cutting-roller mounted therein and projectl L f l l i l injgr sllghtlyabo've the surface of the saine, a vnovel cla in )ing-traine for lioldingtlie envolops banked together on edge on said bedp ate and permitting thciii to be niovcd over 0 and against said cutting-roller, and means for rotating said-roller. The. oblique cutting roller is spirally cross-grooved to create' an effective cutting surface thereon. If oreferred the niac iine iniiy also be provided "I with a vertical cutting-roller to reinove one end edge of the envelops ivhile the. horizontal oblique roller is cutting oli one longitudinal edge thereof.

The invention will be fully understood detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, iii which: A.

ligure 1 is a top View of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying ig.- 2,. is a. side elevation, partly broken away, of the same and illustrates by dot-ted lines a. bank of envelops set on edge on the bedplate of the machine and clamped bv the front clamping plate against the rear c anilping plate pre oratory to the bank of enve ops being pus ied rearwardly or toward the left, looking at Figs. 1 and 2, over the oblique cutting roller; Fig. 3 is an end View, partl3 broken awav, oi the saine; 5 Fig.' 4 is an enlarged detached view of a portion of the machine, the same being Specification o! Letters Patenti appresa sica rovente: 11, i901.

imam iisiLBiioN AND renoue iv. WALKER, or new Yoiuc, x. Y-.

l MACHNE FOR OPENING LETTERS.

i Patented Aug. 4, 190s. serial No. 401,558.

partly in section on the dotted line 4- --1 of Fig. 1, the cuttingr rollers and their internieshing gear whecls and shafts being repfc sented in side elevation Iand the section using through one side portion of the frainc of the machine and through one set of the rods provided for supporting and guiding the clamping plates; Fig. 5 is a detached side elevation of a detail of the machine and is presented to .indicate that the bearings of the oblique roller may be made verticallyadjustable so as to project the cutting surface of the roller to a greater or less extent above the bedlate of the machine; 6 is a front en View of a portion of the machine and is resented to illustrato the latch b v which tlie front clamping plate is normally held iii its outer position; and Fig. 7 is a. longitudinal section through one set. of the rods provided for supporting and guiding the clanipingplates.

In the draii'ings 10 designates the bedplate of the'niachinc, 11 end supporting legs or frames therefor, 12 an oblique cutting roller mounted in the frame of the machine aizl projectinfy upwardly to a slight extent.

through an oblique slot 14 in said befl-platc,

15A an electric inotor for driving said roller, 1G an auxiliary vertical roller geared to the roller 12 and used for removing an end edge of the envelops when desired, 17 a bei for collecting the paper dustai'ising from the action of the roller 12 against the ein-elo s.

1S an inner clamping late against which t ie.

envelo s may be ban ted on edge, and 1Q :in outer c. am ing plate to engage the outer face of the banlr of envelops, the late 1S being secured on the forward ends of ongitudinally slidable rods 20 and the late 19 on the for ward ends of longitudina lv slidable rods 21- adaplted to telescope into tie rods 20.

T e bed-plate 10 presents a substantially fiat upper surface and has inountcd upon itsA rear end the bearing and guiding sleeves :22 for the rods 20, which are .prefere` ly formed or tubing, and, vas hereinbefore explained, carry upon their front ends the transverse clamping plate 1S. Upon ih e rear ends of thn rods .20 are secured collars 23 ishich limit the rontward inovenieiit of .said Pads. The plate 1S carried by the rods 20 is recess-d ou its lower edge to pass by without teuf-hing tliiroller 12 and onits side edge to psss by iviLliout touching the roller 16. The ain .iingr plate 1U corresponds exactly v. inc plate 1S and is arranged parallel Eieren-ith,

KIQ Nl iin said plate 1i? being secured upon the front ends el the rods 21 which liiive their rear ends mounted within the tubular rods 2O and are normally gift-n a spi-iopr tension toward the roar bj.' means of coiled springs Si (Fig. il arranged within the reds 20, '21, and secured at one end to plugs at the rear ends of the rods '2U and at tne other end to plugs attlie front ends of the rods 21. 'llie purpose of the springs lit is to cause the said plat-e 19, `when released, to slide toward the plate 1S an'd against the bank ef env deps', iiidieated at 25, as shown in Fig. l. )referti-bly provide the pla-te i9 with a lia'ndie 26 and equi the niaeliine with latch mechanism for heldi' iner the plate 1? in its` outer position sliown in Fig. i, said hitch mechanism iroinprisingr, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6, a pivoted latch 27 adapted to en -g.;ige a. catch or hook 2S, the latter icing ireferably on the plu-te 19 and t-lielateh on the end of the bed plate 10. The tubular rods 20 guid: the4 rods 21 and are themselves guided by i'helisiing sleeves 22, and in the employment of the machine the rally cross-grooyed and it is intended for use in removing,r :in end edge from the bank ofenl veleps The roller 16 is connected by i gear wheels .'Mwith the shaft of the roller 12 and the bank of envelops while passing over the roller 12 will have one end edge carried against the roller 16. neeessaifi' paril of the machine but is useful in i the event that it should be desired to-epen two edges of the envelops in lieu of one edge' thereof. In .he employment of the machine, the

i plate 19 will be drawn to its front position I shown in Fig'. 1 and secured by the lateh 27, and thereupon the envelops will be banked, on edge, on the bed plate between the clamping plates 1S, 19. After a suitable 'quantity of the envelops have been thus :irraneed on the bed plaie the latch 27 will he moved to release the plate 19, and thereupon the .springs 24 will move said plate againsty the bank of envi-lops, after which, the motor 15 beingt in action', the'atitendant will grasp the handle 26 and push the clam ing-plates,

lThe roller 16 is notA a.

soi

rods` 21 when the latch 27 is released teleenvelops and rods 20 rearward A', thereby 90 scope into the rods to carry the plate 1,9 moving,l the envelops over the roller 12 andA against the bank of envelops, as illustrated againsttlie roller 1G, with the result that said in F ig. 2, and then the operator grasping the rollers will open the envjelops attwo of their handle 26 will push the rods 21., 22 with the edges. The envelops should be pressed l bank of envelops between the plates 18, 19 downwardly.with Sonie firmness upon the 95 rearwardly over the bed plate of the inabed plate 10 so that/their lower edges may chine. the rods 20 at sueh time sliding,r rearnnifornihr engage siiidplate 'and be acted wardly through the sleeves22. upon hy the roller 12, anflwhen the vertical The roller I2 is spirally cross-grooved to roller 1G is made use of the end edges of the form an ell'eetive eut-ting surface thereon and eiivelops at onelend of the bank should be 10 is. with its shaft 29, obliquelv niouiited, and moved iirinly against the vertical guide plate said shafthas on its ouierend a belt wheel 30 35 so that said edges may be carried uniwhereb)` power from the motor 15 may be i'irinly against the roller 16, whose edge will eoniinunieate'l through a belt 31 to the roller project slightly-through a slot in said plate 12. The upper surface of the roller 12 pi'o- 35. The plate 35 may be east upon the bed 10E jeets very :slightly through the oblique slot plate 10.

14 in the hed plate, `and below seid roller is Fig. 5 is presented to illustrate the shaft 29 arranged the box 17 to catch the paper dust as mounted at its ends in bearing blocks 36 from said roller. The box 17 is a )lain ordiset. into slots in the ii'iaehine frame and rennurv box having its` bottom 32 in tlie form of dercd vertically adjust-able by means of 11 a sliding door sup iorted on the lugs 33. screws 37. The roller 2 will be adjusted or There are two ieatnres with respect to the seti so as to remove only a thin edge porroller 12 which we consider of greatJ iniportion of the envelops und omit to eut deeply tance,one beingthat the roller is lset ohlif nel); I into the sume. 'l'lie spiral cross-grooves in l the the roller create small sharp points, eaeli of b to the )ath of. the bank of envelops an( other that. said roller is spirall).r eross-grooved to forni' the eut-ting siirfare. `he oblique position if' the roller 12 enables said roller in a superior manner to remove the edges of the envelopscarried against it. and also prevents the )rejecting downwardl)- into the slot 14 of the lower edge ol" any 'of the envelops during; the travel ol the latter or dui-in,"r :in v period which 'removes only an inlinitesinnil portion l of an edge of the envelop, but all of which eox operate, duringY the operation el the machine, l in ren-roving` the entire edge of the envelop,` S said cutting points ziet-ing one after another I during the travel 0f the envelops over and 'l p against tue roller. T 'i What. we claim as our invent-ion and desire i i i i l .a i i that thebanlv' oleiivelops might be over said roller.. 'lhe spiral io$s-grooves of the. roller 12 increase the ellieieney of the roller. The oblique position of the roller, whether the t to secure b y Leiters-Patent, is: n

1. In a machine for open-ing letters, a bed plate upon ivliirli the letters muy be banked on edge and whieh is adapted to have the let,-

ters move along the saine, and a rotary oblirpie -iitting roller in the path of thcletteis, said bed plate being slotted to expose ai sur 130 lat-ter be 'spiially 'ross-gi'ooved or otherwise given its cutting mii-face, is of very great iinf poi-tance. l he vertical roller 1G is also spii t s l a l 1 v F t imi-.e of the roller to the edge of the letters nmved along the .,"mj substantially as Het forth.

2. In n nntehinefor 'openliig'lttrg abed plate upon which the letters muy be banked en edge und which is adapted to have the letterav move along the saine, and a rotary oblique cutting roller in the path of the letters, .sind hell platte being hdotted to expose a surt'iire of the roller to the edge 0f the. lettere moved t long the sntne, und said roller being Spirzilly c1'ossgino\'td to form n cutting snrfees: thereon; snltnntinlly :ts s etforth.

3. ln n nniehine for opening letters, :iy bed plut-e npnn which the let ters are to he blinked on edge, a. rotar)l obliquo cutting roller in the p ith of the lett-ers, and chunping nieuws with which to move the hunk of letters along said hed. plate and over Suid roller, Lmid hed pint being slotted to expose n surface of the. roller to the. edge of the letters; substantially as Set fortln -l. In a mnt-hin@ for ,'mning letters, a bed phitetipo-1i n'hi h thtI le! ters nre to he banked n edge; means for ziining the. end edges of the letters at one end of the hunk, n rotary hurting roller in the path of said end edge of the lette zindclrnnping means for holding the letters rotnlnnrtly and permittinv their movement over the hed plate of themnt-,hine and agttint. s-:tid roller; snhstuntinlly :as set. forth.

5. In u. machine for ope' ing letters, a bed plate upon which the lac-zb :ne in he lmnked on edge, e rotary olllitfzr uniting rollt-r projected 'slightly through said lit-d plate. in the path of the letters, u ver the path of one edge of and clamping means w the bunk ot` letters til-'1ragainst said rollers; 11

6. In a. machine for t plate upon n lfie'n the lt fr on edge, nnohllluo cui'. slight-l)T through Suid hui the lett-ers, and clrunpn the .letters und perniitt against sind roller, Suid t prising rods. slidnhly nre: plnte., a el. :nping Plate ed tu said rods, rods teleseoping with tnt tmaid rn-ls und having on their forward portions u rlninping plate, springs nornmllturing to :nove said lastmr-ntioned plate the letter-h, und latch mechanism for t tionin'y in opposition springs; substantially :is

Signed :it New York t .t New York, and Stute of day of November, A. D.

:t el( 0f lttcr, whiult to move hed plate and llynssvt forth. letters, .i bed are io ln lwmlted 1:2 'fuller nojevting t' in Lne path of .ns lor engaging in tn he moved ,ning means comfl over Suid hed ful't'e .of szi'ld mth. Y 1 the county of York, this 6th will . lVitnesses:

Alt'rut'n I tnox, Crust C. GJLL.

ni ling ruller in :mid plate stu-i' 

